Recently, I have been doing book reviews of books which I already read, albeit many years ago. This, however, is not one of them. This is the first time that I ever read this book, and still probably only the third or fourth James Patterson book that I have ever read.
This book was quite different than the other Patterson books which I had previously read. In many respects, that made it quite enjoyable.
SPOILER ALERT
SPOILER ALERT
SPOILER ALERT
Okay, so by now if you are still reading this, I have to imagine that you either are familiar with this story already, or perhaps you do not mind the spoilers. Please just don't say that you were not given advanced warning.
This story takes place in Paris. Of course, there is a picture of the Arc de Triumph as seen from the Champs-Élysées, in what is without argument one of the most iconic scenes in Paris, right on the cover of this book. So you might think that Patterson will focus on the most famous parts of the City of Light. Yet, we are taken to some darker, lesser known parts of Paris and the banlieues. This is not quite what I expected, and I commend Patterson for that. Showing a very different, grimier side to Paris. No action scenes on the Eiffel Tower or stolen art from the Louvre or an episode inside of the Notre-Dame Cathedral here, which is truly a refreshing change.
Otherwise, it goes along the way that you would guess that a spy mystery novel would. The bad guys are clearly the bad guys in every way. The good guys are good guys, also in every way. There are no real shades of gray, and the world feels a bit two dimensional in that sense. While I admittedly did not know the specifics of the plan -which turned out to be quite clever, actually - there are some things which made this book nevertheless predictable. The bad guys were plotting something bad, and it looks impressive and unstoppable early on. They look too well-coordinated and unbeatable. Then, they begin to make some mistakes. Also, the incredible insight and instincts of the main character, Jack Morgan, help to foil the evil plot. The bad guys are defeated just in the nick of time, then receive their just deserts in the way of worldwide condemnation and jail time.
None of that exactly came as a surprise.
The plot, simply, is this: there are high-profile murders all across Paris in just a short span of days. They all have a similar mark left by the killers: AB-16. At first, nobody knows or has a clue as to what AB-16 means. In time, of course, we learn what it means. For all intents and purposes, it is a call to arms for all Muslims across France to fight back against oppression and work to destroy decadent French culture and turn France into an Islamic republic.
There is a twist ending. We find out that the bad guys, wo at first seem to side with the Muslim majority and feel that they are oppressed, instead seem angry and resentful towards Muslims. They arm them, but only with defective weapons that pose only symbolic danger. Mostly, they want to trigger a war (like a racial war) that, they are sure, will drive Islam out of France. In short, AB-16 is a scam to get militant Muslims brainwashed and to start a Holy War of sorts, but then for France to expel Islam out of the country altogether to save French culture.
All in all, this mostly is what you expect from a James Patterson book. It is entertaining and moves fast. Not boring reading, to be sure. The chapters are short, so it feels like you are progressing through the book fast, making very good progress. As I understand it, that is one of the draws for fans of Patterson. It is not meant to be taken too seriously or to make very deep, poignant points or to get you thinking very deeply about topics. It is simply a fun book to read, perfect for beach reading. As such, it certainly achieves it's end. This was a fun read.
If there is one criticism that I have of James Patterson - and it is true with the characters in this book, as well as his more well known characters, especially Alex Cross - it is that the characters feel a bit paper thin. Jack Morgan as a main character feels remarkably similar to Alex Cross, another main character in Patterson books. The problem that I have with them is believability. They are one-dimensional. Too flawless. Frankly, they are too perfect, too successful, too attractive with incredible women desperately wanting to be near them. Also, they always find themselves in the middle of intense action from which they emerge relatively (and predictably) unscathed. All of this is a formula, and a repetitive one. Patterson writes entertaining, fun books. But I do not love the characters as I do with, say Stephen king's characters, who feel more believable to me, even if the stories, sometimes, do not. The characters which populate King books feel far more real and relatable.
That said, of course, this book is mostly meant as a fun read. In that capacity, it does it's job. It is fast-paced and packed with action which, I believe, is the reason why most readers turn to an author like Patterson in the first place.
Recommended for fun, not overly serious reading.
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